Rainbow Wahine on a roll

Mason’s 18 kills lead UH to a quick sweep of Nevada and sole possession of the WAC lead

Devin Scruggs still keeps a Kim Willoughby bobblehead doll on a shelf in her office. The Nevada volleyball coach said it no longer haunted her since Willoughby, Hawaii's three-time All-American and national player of the year, finished her career in 2003.

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When asked this week which Rainbow Wahine deserved a bobblehead, there was no hesitation: Victoria Prince.

"She runs the slide better than anyone," Scruggs said.

In fact, the Wolf Pack put Prince on their highlight tape from last year.

After last night, Scruggs might consider adding another Wahine: Sarah Mason. The junior hitter helped decimate the Wolf Pack with 18 kills, hitting .545 with no errors, as Hawaii took over sole possession of the Western Athletic Conference lead with a stunning 30-16, 30-7, 30-17 win at the Stan Sheriff Center. It took just 81 minutes, for most of which the crowd of 6,514 (8,018) watched Nevada simply self-destruct.

"It was ugly, the ugliest match I've ever seen a team of mine play," said Scruggs after Nevada scored the fewest points against UH in the rally-scoring era (40). "We were just bad. We played scared. I have no reason for it. It was very frustrating to watch.

"We had enough players who have been here before, they shouldn't have been nervous. But Hawaii just served us off the court. If there's anything we learned tonight, which is what I told my team, is what a good-serving team can do. Hawaii never let up. It was a long way to come not to compete."

The Wahine (11-6, 5-0) also never let down, keeping the pressure on throughout in snapping Nevada's nine-match winning streak. Hawaii had four hitting errors, with no Wahine having more than one.

As for Prince, she was in on the damage, with all four of the team's aces and impressive serving runs. Hawaii led 10-6 in Game 2, when she went back to serve; when she was done, the Wahine were ahead 20-6.

Nevada (10-6, 5-1) would score just once, on Juliana Sanders' lone hitting error. Wahine setter Kanoe Kamana'o closed out the match with a 10-0 serving run, helped by Mason's two kills and one block.

"My goal tonight was to not have any errors," Mason said. "I had been making too many. What I tried to do was hit smarter, not always try to hit through the block, and be patient.

"I did expect more (from Nevada). Everyone talked about the tough matches from last year. We were ready for it, we waited for them to come back. They didn't."

Wahine coach Dave Shoji was very surprised.

"They're a good team," Shoji said. "You just have to chalk it up to one of those nights. Some of it was us, some of it was them. We played very well, they didn't.

"But we know they'll be a different team in Reno."

Nevada hosts Hawaii at the Virginia Street Gym -- site of next month's WAC tournament -- on Oct. 27. The Wolf Pack player with the most on the line will be senior hitter Salaia Salave'a, who is 0-10 against the Wahine in her career. The All-WAC selection, leading the conference in kills per game (4.53) had just five kills last night in 35 attempts.

The Wolf Pack also came in as the WAC's top hitting team (.255) but had 32 hitting errors to finish at negative .054. Fourteen of those errors came in Game 2, when Nevada hit negative .256.

The only Nevada player to hit above .000 was junior Carly Sorensen (.208), with five of her 10 kills coming in Game 3.

Unlike Thursday's sweep of Fresno State, Shoji did not substitute much. He brought in freshman Jamie Houston in Game 3, something that only had Scruggs rolling her eyes after Houston skied to put down four kills.

"She hits the ball harder than anyone I've seen," Scruggs said. "All I can think is, '(Tara) Hittle's gone and he brings this one in. Great sub, Dave.' "

Hawaii out-blocked Nevada 8-1. Coincidentally, that was the same lead the Wahine opened with in Game 1, beginning what Prince called the shortest night in the arena in her career.

"I don't remember ever getting out of here this early," she said.

Notes: Boise State scored 43 points against UH in 2001 (30-13, 30-13, 30-17), the previous low. ... The seven points in Game 2 were the lowest since SMU and Boise State scored six in 2002.